Vienna - Officials of the UN nuclear watchdog said they were
aware of no specific dirty bomb threats against the Beijing Olympics,
but were working with China on part of ongoing efforts to improve
security at high-profile events.
The IAEA had no specific intelligence on threats, Anita Nielsson,
head of the Office for Nuclear Security of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) said. So-called dirty bombs contain radioactive
material blown up using conventional explosives, which disperse the
often highly poisonous radioactive substances.
Experts believe that the psychological effects of a dirty bomb
attack would be far more widespread than the actual deaths and damage
caused by such a device.
The international community could however not afford to remain
inactive.
'It is better to be proactive and review practices and put them up
to standard and implement them,' Nielsson said.
After 9/11 awareness increased that an added level of security was
necessary, and that security arrangements should also contain
provisions for attempts by terrorists to bring in radioactive
materials, she said.
'It is adding a dimension to standard security systems,' Nielsson
said. 'Not to leave any stone unturned, to get the best possible
Olympic Game or Championships, not to be disturbed by these undue
events' Nielsson said.
A team of IAEA experts trained Chinese officials this week for
emergencies involving radioactive materials, as part of the effort to
introduce a 'radiological dimension' into standard security for big
public meetings, IAEA officials said.
The exercise included simulations of how to detect radioactive
materials and how to deal with the potentially lethal substances,
IAEA experts said.
One simulation exercise included testing the detection
capabilities as well as organization and communication between the
point of detection and the responding forces by smuggling a small
radioactive source into a venue, IAEA expert Peter Colgan said.
Other exercises simulated handling a dirty bomb, mainly focusing
on showing officials how to communicate in case of a radiological
emergency.
'I understand the exercises went very well,' Colgan said.
Radiation security for the Olympic Games was unlikely affected by
the Sichuan earthquake, as preparation work for the games had been
ongoing for more than 18 months,
The IAEA conducted similar programmes at the 2004 Olympics in
Greece or at the 2006 Football World Cup in Germany.
In June 2007, the IAEA and the China's Atomic Energy Authority
reached a cooperation agreement which included efforts to enhance
nuclear security arrangements for the upcoming Olympics.
Beijing was a natural follow-on to previous efforts and part of
the general awareness that it was necessary to add the radiological
dimension to existing security arrangements, the IAEA said.
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